Save Our Landfill

Presentation to Council 3/5/15

As a proponent and enthusiast of recycling this subject is very important to me, other greenies and land preservers.

For several years and several city administrations, cardboard recycling has been a subject often discussed but never acted on.

The need for such a program is two fold. The obvious one is that there is a finite amount of resources left for future generations and we are fast exploiting what remains. I think of my new great-grandson's future along with all the other great-grandsons future and what it will look like. We are passing along an earth that they will have to live in. I sigh with disappointment when I now have to pack a reusable material in the trash.

The second and just as important to legislators is the using up and shortening the life of our landfill capacity. I hope that we can extend the life of the new landfill expansion sufficiently to allow the debt to be retired and a few more years to accumulate a fund for the eventual closure of the facility. Then we can consider converting the land for it ultimate purpose, a west side city park connected by trails to the other parks.

We have always left our small businesses with no way to recycle their tons of cardboard shipping containers that end up in the landfill. That method costs them, reduces landfill life and wastes a resource.

Until recently local residents had a option to trashing cardboard by using the county supplied drop off point on West Main St. Every time that I have gone to the site several people were using the facility. That option has ended and now all of that an estimated 130 tons of card board will go into the landfill each year.

According to one internet source “...the effect on the environment of recycling one ton of cardboard saves about nine cubic yards of landfill space, 700 gallons of water and forty six gallons of oil.

One person's suggestion: See if county solid waste and/or OEPA could assist in obtaining a baler or compactor for a landfill drop off site. I and many others I know, would be willing to make a one dollar contribution per site visit and small business owners could be asked for two dollars. If market conditions dictate these fees could be waved for a period.

As Don Wells often said. “Save our landfill” I would add to that by urging you to save resources for my, great- grand children and yours.

Note: After the meeting a local resident offered to donate a cardboard baler to the recycling effort.

Paul Hunter